Happy Adoption Day!

I first held my sweet baby girl three years ago today. It was a few minutes after 8:00 a.m. at the Changsha Civil Affairs Office in Hunan Province, China. Jillian was waiting patiently with the two Zhijiang SWI workers that accompanied her on the long journey via night-train into the city. She was as happy as a lark the minute she was placed in my arms and I actually worried because her transition into our family was so joyful and easy. Of course, I had read all the books about what to expect regarding attachment issues during international adoptions and I expected the worse case scenario. I think that Jillian would have suffered trauma and possible heartbreak if her actual nanny placed her in my arms. She was so willing to be loved and did not let me out of her sight for days. She knew that I was her mom within an hour or two after meeting us. I was also prepared for the influx of conflicting emotions that could have negatively affected me/us upon meeting our brand new eleven-month old daughter, BUT I fell completely in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her in that cold government office building on the other side of the world at 8:00 a.m. on November 28, 2005. If ever I questioned my purpose in life, I found my answer that day three years ago in Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Our Adoption Day Traditions:
1. Send letter and updated photos to Jillian's former nannies at Zhijiang SWI. I use Blessed Kids to handle my translations. I decided to write my own letter instead of sending a form letter this year, so the translation may take a little longer than usual. My most secret prayer is that these photos and letters end up in the hands of someone associated with Jillian's birth family. What an amazing gift to share with Jillian if/when some type of communication could be established and if/when she is ready to handle such information. Sadly, I really don't expect to ever locate her birth parents due to China's thick veil of secrecy, but I can always hope.
2. Continue to support the education of an infant/preschooler living in a Chinese orphanage through Half the Sky Foundation.
3. Jillian will receive one of twenty Homeland Gifts that were purchased during our stay in China. This year she received a red Mandarin jacket & pant set (see below).
We also like to celebrate the occasion by going out and doing something fun. This year Jillian chose to eat dinner at the Cracker Barrel before watching a production of Annie at our local community theater. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of talent in our area.

November 28, 2008
November 28, 2005
"If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together. There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you."
~Winnie the Pooh